


Rescuing Future

by Jonyayer



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Apocalypse, Despair Era (Dangan Ronpa), F/M, Fluff, Gen, Human Nanami Chiaki, Hurt/Comfort, Nanami Chiaki Lives, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-19 08:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29872107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jonyayer/pseuds/Jonyayer
Summary: Chisa Yukizome's favoritism was always a little obvious. When she finds her Class Rep in a heap, clinging to life, she'd do anything to save her.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Nanami Chiaki, Kamukura Izuru/Nanami Chiaki, Nanami Chiaki & Yukizome Chisa
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24





	Rescuing Future

**Author's Note:**

> The basis for this AU is Junko doesn't have magic brainwashing powers, but still gets the Remnants. Except for Chisa. And of course, Chiaki saving is always great.

Chiaki fell helplessly to the ground. She tried to breathe, only for a well of pain to strike her chest. Soon after, everything followed suit. A scream escaped her as she struggled to get to her feet, slipping on some of her own blood. She felt everything begin to slow, salt tears mixing with her blood.

Of course it was a trap. There was no way that door wouldn’t have been. It was too obvious. Too easy. None of this was easy. She could feel someone else was there. They had just walked in. She hazarded opening her eyes, wincing as blood pooled in her right. He stood there, looking over her. Hinata-kun was there. He’d help her.

She tried again to get up, managing to flip herself over her front. She began to say some words. Words she didn’t understand. Maybe if she said the right words he’d make it stop. It all hurt so much. Was she pleading with him? Her mind staggered, unable to comprehend what she was even doing. Why was her body still talking if it hurt this much to talk?

He eventually said something in reply. Maybe it was going to help her. He’d know what to say to make it better. She continued to claw her way over to him, until it all stopped. Unable to even move. This was where the hero would swoop in and save her. She’d be thankful and together they’d move on.

She clung to the last traces of consciousness remaining. Her ship had struck a whirlpool, desperately clinging as it swirled deeper and deeper down. It was sinking, only a few planks left floating around, getting dragged down. She clung to one as it spun wide around.

There was a touch, so faint she barely realized it was there. As if a ghost had lifted her. But what she did know was that she wasn’t on the ground anymore. She tried to open her eyes but they wouldn’t budge. None of her would. All she could do is feel the touch, hear footsteps.

Just being lifted wasn’t enough to drag her out from the ocean. Even the sound was drowned out by a static pattern, pattering against her ears. It started quiet, but grew louder. Fast. Until it struck her.

Only touch remained. And what she felt was water. Drops hitting her skin. Was somebody crying? No, she felt a breeze. Was she outside? Why was she outside? Mustering every piece of her remaining strength, she cracked her eyes once more. She was near the statue.

The figure carrying her set her down. She tried to look at them, but they were already gone. The grass under her was soaked, but soft. It was better than the stiff checkered floor. Something nearby was glowing, growing closer. It was warm. Inviting. She stretched her hand out towards it.

The screen of her Game Girl was illuminating the nearby area. Some old, dying part of her grew angry it was left out in the rain. But that didn’t matter. She reached for it, trying to grab it. Her fingers clasped around the handheld, passing through it and meeting her hand into a fist. She whimpered, rain pouring down into her open wounds and mud rising into them.

Chiaki more than anything wanted to go back to this morning. She was planning for the school festival while playing Ms. Pacman, concerned about the parade. But an hour ago seemed like a distant memory. An hour ago, she was fine. An hour ago, she wasn’t bleeding out alone. An hour ago, she wasn’t going to die.

She didn’t like the thought of dying. It evoked another frivolous stir from her, just hurting more. It scared her. She struggled again. It all hurt. She didn’t want to go. Everything she could do was cling to her conscious state, drifting between.

* * *

Chisa was growing more worried, the longer she searched. It wasn’t like them to not come to class. She cursed herself for being late. Rounding the corner to the back of the school, she saw a figure. Whoever it was had hair rivalling her own. The rain created a mist around her, limiting her vision. And the person dipped back out of her vision.

She was on the edge of giving up, yet finding a suspicious individual on school grounds reinvigorated her. Rumors were beginning to prop up around the staff rooms. Whispers among students. Jeers from the front gate. Tensions were high.

This person felt so overwhelming. Could it be him? She found herself chasing him down the path, winding around the courtyard. Almost instantly, she lost him. Not a single trace was left, not even a muddy footprint. She slowed herself, catching her breath against the statue. The founder, Izuru Kamukura. What was left of his legacy.

She gazed upon it only long enough to notice something out of the corner of her eye. Something red. Not moving. She hesitantly approached it, making out the details slowly.

Her hesitance lasted only long enough for her to see the something’s face. She cupped her hands over her mouth letting a shout escape. Only a second passed before she tossed away her umbrella, ignoring the rain. This was more important.

Every second she looked at her, she noticed another injury. The explanation that any of this was an accident quickly left. Chisa clutched at the limp body, lifting her head up. Her worst fears were assuaged as she coughed up a bit of blood, shaking. “Nanami-san! Wh-What happened!? Are you okay!?” She asked.

Receiving no response, she realized how pointless the question was. The answer to the second was quite obvious. Sitting idle wasn’t going to help anyone either way. Chisa had a small amount of medical knowledge, but it was better than nothing.

The hole in her chest looked the most worrying, and she didn’t have enough hands to cover them all. So she pressed down hard against it, invoking a pained cry from her. The Housekeeper hesitated for a moment before pressing down harder. At the same time she tugged out her phone, calling an emergency.

Only wasting enough time to say what she found and where, she hung up, using the other hand to cover a lower wound. She found herself mumbling variations of ‘come on’ under her breath but she had stopped stirring all together. Out of options, she pressed both of her hands together, against her chest.

As a teacher, she made sure to learn CPR, but never expected to need it. Especially not in this situation. She pushed powerfully, repeatedly. Forty times. With no results. She needed to move to the next step. Without a barrier mask, she had to do it stark. She mumbled a short apology before pressing her mouth against the girl’s and pinching her nose. One breath, back away, another breath. Not sparing a moment to wipe the blood off her mouth, she returned to the presses.

She continued the pattern repeatedly. Nanami-san seemed to drift in and out of life. Chisa switched between holding her blood in and continuing the reps. Until eventually she heard a faint siren.

“Come on.” She scooped the girl up in her arms, cradling her head and legs. “You’re going to be okay.”

For the first time, her eyes cracked open. It seemed like she tried to say something, but only gurgled an uninterpretable sound.

“Yes! Yes, look at me!” Chisa shouted, taking off at a brisk pace. “Keep your eyes on me, okay? Like those memory games.”

The girl looked up with a terrified, teary look. She coughed up some blood on her white apron. “Hel…p…”

“I know! I’m helping! It’s going to be okay, okay?” The Housekeeper forced a smile down at her. “Think of good, happy thoughts. Think of nice times.”

“Please, it… Hurts…” She shuddered in her arms.

“Hey, I said happy thoughts. It won’t hurt soon, I promise.” She hoped the rain would hide her own tears. “Remember all those times we played games together? Or all those trips! What about the Karaoke night? You chose a really cool song!”

Her eyes looked glazed, faded from their normal pink. “I… Wasn’t any good…” She seemed to struggle with each word.

“Hey, don’t talk like that! You were great, okay? You’re great!” She assured.

“I… Wanna do Karaoke again… Games… Please.” The Gamer spoke brokenly, her eyes slowly closing.

“Hey! No! Keep your eyes on me. Don’t fall asleep. Just keep looking at me.” She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing through some strands bound together with blood. If the girl had been normal, it probably would have looked like a pout, but she returned a pained expression. She kept her eyes trained on her.

“Good, good! Keep doing that!” She encouraged, looking up at the path ahead. Her legs had brought her to the front gate. The ambulance was in view. The security guards looked at her before quickly opening the gate. She always used to think it opened fast, but now it felt gruellingly slow. As soon as the gap was big enough, she slid her way through.

The Parade’s angry scorn grew as she passed through them, until she came face to face with an old student. A few seconds passed with him, glancing between him and Nanami-san, before stepping aside. With that, the rest of the group split, making a path for her. She hurried over to the vehicle, somewhat reluctantly handing her over.

Every moment from then on was anxiety-ridden. As soon as the medics took off, Chisa flew to her car and followed to the nearby hospital. Stuck in the waiting room, doubting thoughts crawled into her mind. What about the others? Were they just as hurt? Did she leave too early? But they were just as quickly drowned out by affirmations. Nanami-san was the one she found, and she wouldn’t have made it if she hadn’t helped.

The cycle continued until she was finally let into the girl’s room. She was still asleep, her face contorting in uncomfortable ways. Her entire body was wrapping in bandages, quite literally from head to toe. Chisa clasped her hand to the sleeping girl.

She felt her fears only grow as the nurse explained. The wounds were too precise, it wasn’t an accident. She found it hard to believe in any capacity. Who would want to do this to her? Worse even, each wound alone was non-fatal. Whoever did this wanted her to hurt. Chisa tightened her grip.

* * *

Chiaki felt heavy. Every part of her body was heavy. She couldn’t bring herself to move at all. As if a weight had been tied to her. Sometimes, her consciousness grew. At points she could hear people talking. Only a few words at a time. It left her agonizingly curious.

Something was wrong. That was easy to tell. Remembering what came with more effort. Effort she couldn’t bring herself to use. Eventually, she found herself more conscious than not. With that, the pain began to strengthen.

Regaining her memory should have been a long task, she was supposed to visit different landmarks and get a cutscene. Instead, it happened all at once everything tackling her mind flaring the pain. She stifled a scream. How could this all have happened. She was alive, though.

Somebody else was there with her, she could hear their breath over the beeping of her heart rate. Chiaki tried to pry open her eyes. She only managed it on her third attempt, and they quickly shut themself again. Eventually they stayed open, staring at a white ceiling.

She looked down at her arm, ignoring the bandages and moving on to the hand clasping hers. Her eyes tracked up their forearm, eventually noticing her face, leaning limply to the side. Complimented by the blood covering the rest of her body. A slight panic rose in her, before remembering how she was helped.

“Y… Yuki… Zome…” She spoke in a shattered voice. “Sensei…”

The Teacher stirred slightly, though still slept. Chiaki inhaled through her teeth at the discomfort of talking. She tested lifting a finger, rather painlessly. Her new plan was to keep tapping her until she woke up.

She drummed her fingers along the back of her hand as hard as she could. After a few fruitless minutes, her eyes flicked open.

After a few confused looking seconds, her gaze widened, snapping down to her. Without saying a word, she pounced down, pulling Chiaki into a tight hug. It lasted only long enough for her to let out a pained yelp before breaking apart, returning to a much less hurting handhold.

“Sorry! Sorry, I just… I’m glad you’re okay!” She paused for a moment. “Are you okay!?”

Chiaki took a minute to think about the question. It didn’t hurt as much as earlier. Though she felt empty, not helped by each hole in her. “No…” Her tone was still hard on her own ears. “It… Hurts.”

“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay. I’m here with you, okay? I’m not going to leave.” She gazed into her eyes.

“I… Don’t go. Please…” She forced out.

“I’m not. I’m not going anywhere.” Yukizome-sensei repeated. “Let’s talk about something nice, okay? What’s the last game you played?”

“Pacman… Ms. Pacman.” Chiaki wanted to say more, but couldn’t find the energy.

“Oh, you’re going to have to show me that one when we go back to class.” She gave a half-hearted smile.

Back to class? School was where it happened. Class wasn’t safe. She shook her head as fast as she still could, which was relatively slow. Her breaths shortened. She didn’t want to go back there.

Her teacher must have noticed something, hesitating to say something. “What’s wrong? Did I… Do you need a doctor!?”

“I want to… Go home.” She mumbled. “I don’t want to die… I wanna go home.”

“Right… Right, that makes sense. I should call your parents. Dammit I should have already.” She nodded. “Listen, Nanami-san? Do you know what happened to the others? Are they okay?”

Chiaki barely considered her answer. “They’re… Okay.” She lied. She had no way of knowing that. But if she didn’t say so, then Yukizome-sensei would get worried and go look for them. She’d leave her. She didn’t want to be alone again. As hard as she could, she clutched her hand.

“Alright… Then how’d this… Happen? If you… Want to say.” She stumbled out.

She returned to shaking her head. Not anytime soon did she want to think about it. Tsumiki-san betrayed her. The Fasionista taunted her. Everything suddenly hurt. She was supposed to die. But Yukizome-sensei saved her. “You… Thank you…” Her vision petered out, once again going dark.

The next time her eyes opened, daylight streamed in. Chiaki groggily tried to sit up, just for a wave to shove her back down. She leaned her head to see The Housekeeper looking down at her attentively. The Gamer itched for something to play, to get her mind off of things.

As brief as it was, she slipped out of consciousness again. Time was a blur for her as the cycle continued. The longest she stayed awake couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. But every time, her teacher was there. Chiaki barely felt a change, as if she was blinking. Though she was often out for hours, Yukizome-sensei was always ready to pick up the discussion where they’d left off.

A few days passed before she was even able to sit upright, and only for a few moments. While she was awake, she borrowed her teacher's phone, playing through as many games on there as she could. She occasionally asked about what happened, though Chiaki shut down every time.

By the fifth day, her parents finally responded. She was going to be moved to a different hospital, across the country. Back home. As much as Chiaki was hoping for a sudden change, with her wanting to stay, it never came. She couldn’t bring herself to want to go back. They practically had to pull Yukizome-sensei off her as she was wheeled away.

Timeless weeks passed as she was treated. Her dad was furious, often shouting about lawsuits and such. Chiaki eventually was released to her house, though still had trouble walking. Her hands were still a little stiff, so playing games was difficult. Though she wouldn’t be the Former Ultimate Gamer if she couldn’t manage.

Month passed after month, her birthday coming and going. No big celebration. No friends. Her only gift was a new console and some games, as well as being able to move herself. Time came for her graduation. The event she’d started planning since she was elected Class Rep, gone.

Then it happened. She’d been playing games at the time, so she hadn’t heard until the night. People were calling it the Tragedy. Riots and chaos had broken out in major cities. It only took a fortnight for them to reach her.

Her parents must have been swept up by it at work. That’s what she chose to believe. They wouldn’t have forgotten her as they escaped, right? There was no time for that, though. She made her way to a makeshift shelter, set up by some remains of society.

Chiaki stayed with them for the first month, until her town grew too bad and they had to relocate. She was separated during a supply run. With her bag packed full of food, only sparing room for a long dead Game Girl, she made her own way.

She ran out a couple weeks later. Too afraid to go into a city for supplies, she opted for trying to make her own. Games made it look so easy, but the seeds refused to grow. Without any other options, she made her way to a supermarket. Unsurprisingly, it was empty, other than a few despair toting goons. Though, as she stepped outside, something new happened.

A car drove into the lot. Not one of the apocalypse style jeeps, driving around and harassing those on the ground. It was a normal black car. Stepping out, a woman in a suit. Chiaki blinked a few times, unsure how to approach the situation. “Hello…?”

“Hm? Do you need something?” The woman asked, looking at the trashed market.

“Sorry, I… I’m just looking for… Some food. You looked well off, so… Maybe you could take me to some?” She mumbled.

“I’m just doing some scouting. I don’t have any food.” Suit-Lady stated. “And I can’t trust you’re not in despair. It’s not a gamble I can take.”

“I-I’m not, I promise…” She grimaced at the thought of being on the same side of despair. “Please.”

“Here’s the deal, I can’t take you. Though… You don’t seem too bad, kid.” She sighed, tapping her foot a few times. “Fine, just don’t tell anyone about this, or it’s my ass on the line. Got it?” She pulled out a piece of paper, holding it out long enough for her to grab it. Not sparing another word, she climbed back into the car and drove off.

Chiaki looked down at the scrap. A map of the city, with an arrow pointing to a building labelled ‘#3’. She was rather skilled in following maps, making it across the city in a few hours. Eventually, she reached the building. It was relatively short, only four or five stories.

Twisting the doorknob, she froze. This was obviously a trap. As if there were four golden letters written above the frame, she backed away. She fell backwards, onto the sidewalk. Her heart quickened, everything screaming in her ears. Until the door opened.

A suited man walked out, not noticing her. Chiaki snapped out of her trance, making her way in the ajar door. Inside, it looked like an empty convention center, a few tables scattered around the middle. The smell of meat dragged her in, as if she were one of her old friends. The servers didn’t flinch as she shuffled in place. Once she received her food, she sat at one of the empty tables, digging in.

It took barely a minute for her to finish, but it was a high quality meal. Especially compared to the rest in this time. She took in the silence, before hearing a few footsteps. After a few moments, someone sat next to her. “So, how’s the end of the world treating you?”

She glanced up at the blond man. “D-Do I know you?”

“I guess I never made too big an impression, compared to my replacement. Not bitter, I promise.” He laughed, tilting back his fedora.

“I’m sorry if I’m not supposed to be here. I was just really hungry and… Heard there was food here.” She sighed.

“Well, this is a buffet of sorts. People are supposed to eat at this kinda place, aren’t they?” He chuckled. “Say. I have a meeting coming up in a few minutes. Would you like to come?”

“Huh? Who are you? What meeting?” She shuffled to the side.

“Well, I’m the head of the third branch. We’re the Future Foundation.” He stood up. “The meeting was supposed to be a one on one thing, but I’ve a feeling you’re supposed to be there. Some karmic stuff I never got.”

“Okay…?” She shrugged, just happy to have something in her stomach.

“Right. Well, wouldn’t want to be late, now would we?” He grinned.

“I guess not.” She nodded, climbing to her feet and following him.

They rose in the elevator, getting as high as it seemed it could still go. Together, they stepped out and entered a small circular room, a table in the middle. She was about to sit down, when the opposite door opened.

“Alright, Kizakura-san. About your new-” The new person stopped, looking up from her papers.

Chiaki stood as frozen. Both seemed hesitant to move. Though it only lasted a moment, before Yukizome-sensei launched herself onto her. No words used. The Gamer stood stunned a moment, before sinking into it. Tears weren’t something that helped in a wasteland, though right now they would. So Chiaki cried.

“N-Nanami-san! I thought you… That I’d never see you again.” She pulled her tight, digging some fingers into her hair.

For a moment, the rest of the world didn’t matter. Everything that had happened was irrelevant. She let out a warm giggle. “It’s really you…”

“How are you? Are you okay?” She worriedly asked.

“Yeah, yeah I’m okay. Still a little hungry. What about you?” Chiaki pulled away.

“Yes, I’m fine. Let’s get you some food.” She offered, turning to the man. “Kizakura-san, can we postpone?”

“Fine by me. I’m just as happy about this development.” He grinned.

His name sounded familiar, she’d need to ask him later. Though at the moment, she followed her teacher to another room. As fast as she seemed she could, she prepared a meal. Chiaki ate it just as fast, glancing around the room.

It looked like a kitchen, but with couches, so a lounge. But she noticed something near the ground. Since the lights were on, there must be power. She dove off the couch and fished around in her bag, pulling out her Game Girl and charger, plugging it into the outlet.

After a few agonizing minutes, it blinked on. She shuffled impatiently as the game booted up. Yukizome-sensei leaned over her shoulder to watch her. It felt so normal, compared to everything else. “I missed this, Nanami-san.” She shared the same sentiment. “I missed you…”

“Me too… I’m really glad I found you.” She smiled. “Whatever you’re doing here…”

“Well, we’re The Future Foundation. We’re sorta saving the world.” The Housekeeper answered.

“Oh? Is it working?” She asked.

“Well, kinda. I assume. That’s a loaded question. It’s put together by a bunch of old Ultimates. We’re getting pretty good at this stuff.” She grinned. “Ever since the Togami’s fell, their money went to their kid. Kirigiri-san decided to give it to us, so we’ve got a lot to work with.”

“Really? That’s a lotta lot.” She mumbled. “Kirigiri-san, you mean the Headmaster?”

“Yep. He’s safe inside Hope’s Peak with the students. They turned that place into the shelter.” Yukizome-sensei nodded.

“Huh?” Chiaki paused to think. The students? “So everyone’s safe? I’m glad. I don’t think Saionji-san or Hanamura-kun would be too good out there.”

A silence stretched out. After a few seconds, she grew slightly worried. “Nanami-san… It’s only Class 78 in there.” She paused, tightening her grip on her shoulders. The Game Girl’s screen went black, reflecting the teacher’s face. It was forlorn, broken up. “I-I’m really… Really happy you’re okay…”

“What…? What do… You mean?” She stumbled. “They’re all in Hope’s Peak, right? Wh-What happened?”

“Okay, I… Well… A few days after you left, they came back, and… You know about the Tragedy, right?” She asked rhetorically. “I-I tried to get them all out of there… But we got separated, and… And there was an explosion…” She stopped. “But you’re okay! So… So I have you back.”

Chiaki couldn’t respond. Not that she would want to. She took a few deep breaths, setting her game down softly. “A-Ah… I want to help… I need to help…”

“Nanami-san, it’s okay. You’re okay. You’re okay and that’s what is important right now.” She wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. “I’m not letting you out of my sight again. You’re safe here.”

“It’s… It’s not fair…” She muttered. “Why couldn’t I just get a normal life? With my f-friends… Not this… I don’t want this…”

“Hey. We all feel that way, that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing. We’re going to fix things.” She rubbed her shoulders. “I’ll see what I can do, and get more games for you. I promise.”

“Thank you… I h-haven’t played in a while.” She nodded. “I just… Just want to play some games.”

“I know. I know.” Yukizome-sensei looked down at her. “Hey… If you don’t mind me asking. How are you? About what happened back then?”

“O-Oh…” Chiaki sighed. “It… Still hurts. But… Not as much.” She slid off her hoodie, her short-sleeve button up revealing some scars. Along her arms were six or seven circular blotches, as well as a gash on her left arm. “Don’t… Stare.”

“Nanami-san… I… I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you… Now I am. Now I always will be. So don’t worry, okay?” She urged. “Nothing else bad is going to happen.”

“Okay.” She agreed without enthusiasm.

“You know, you could probably use a bath. And some clean clothes.” The Housekeeper offered. “Come on, let’s go.”


End file.
